Respected and world-renowned Philosopher Prof. Emeritus Alfredo P. Co, Ph.D., led a group of faculty members from the University of Santo Tomas under the Department of Philosophy who attended and presented papers at the 24th World Congress of Philosophy, organized by the International Federation of Philosophical Societies (FISP) in cooperation with Peking University.
The week-long conference was held from August 13 to August 20,
2018 at the China National Convention Center in Beijing, People’s
Republic of China.
There was a remarkable Thomasian participation in the Beijing
WCP, which is recorded as one of the most attended world congresses
of Philosophy. UST faculty members presented papers, participated
in the society session, while Thomasian graduate students and
alumni, both from the ecclesiastical Faculty of Philosophy and the
secular Department of Philosophy, presented papers in parallel and
student sessions.
Dr. Co, aside from moderating a number of parallel sessions, delivered a
paper titled: “The Place of Forgiveness and Reconciliation in a two-tiered Political World of Ancient Confucian China.” Prof. Jove Jim S. Aguas, Ph.D., in separate panels, presented two papers with the titles “Dialogue and Dignity” and “Philosophy of the Body.”
The Thomasian group also actively participated in the society session led
by the Philosophical Association of the Philippines. Bannering the theme, “PAP: 45 Years of the Philosophical Association of the Philippines: Exploring Philosophy in Southeast Asia,” Aguas delivered an account of the development of Philosophy in the Philippines and Assoc. Prof. Fleurdeliz R. Altez-Albela, Ph.D., presented opportunities in creating a philosophical
network among ASEAN nations through a paper titled, “Bridging Gaps and Fostering Philosophical Discourse: Some ASEAN Opportunities.”
The meeting was also attended by representatives of philosophical societies
from Thailand, Vietnam and Australasia, who collectively agreed to work on projects such as conferences, faculty exchange, roundtable sessions involving the ASEAN Universities Network (AUN) to foster
regional philosophical camaraderie.
The paper presenters from the Ecclesiastical Faculty of Philosophy were:
Fr. Martin Bai Ziqiang, OP, who presented “Dao as Verb: a Revisiting of Lao Zi’s Metaphysics” (Session on Daoist Philosophy) Sr. Li Xuena Sophia – “The Ethical Issue on Filial Piety in Modern China” (Session on Confucian Philosophy); Bro. Paul Dunca, “Police-Oracle Al, “Determinism and Human
Freewill,” USTGS alumni include: Christine Abigail Tan who presented, “Li as Ziran in the Analects: Spontaneity in the Ritualized Self” (Session on Confucian Philosophy); Kelly Agra “Situational Ethics and Social
Epistemology in Confucian Philosophy” (Session in Confucian Philosophy);
Mark Kevin Cabural “Humanness and Righteousness in Dong Zhongshu’s
Luxuriabr Gems of the Spring and Autumn” (session on Confucian Philosophy); Levine Lao “Rethinking Indigenous Philosophy: Alfredo Co’s Notion of ‘Pre-Philosophy’ (Session on Contemporary Philosophy); Wendy Luna also flew in from Australia to present a paper on Foucalt; and Ivan
Brian Inductivo who also delivered a paper on Philosophy of Information and Digital Culture.
The conference was interspersed with cultural city trips organized by the Peking University and was adjourned with a cultural presentation and banquet sponsored by the organizers
